Sharad Pawar, senior politician and former Indian cricket board (BCCI) and International Cricket Council (ICC) president, could be appointed the first `independent chairman' of cricket's world governing body in June this year, following developments in Dubai at the ICC board meeting.
The ICC board has recommended that “in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest and to follow best principles of good governance,” it would seek to re-establish as quickly as possible the “independent position of ICC chairman.”
The ICC board agreed that a new chairman should be elected for a two-year term through a secret ballot. The independent chairman will not be allowed to hold any post with any member board and may be re-elected at the expiry of the term with a maximum limit of three terms. To qualify, nominees must be either a past or present ICC board director and should have the support of at least two full-member directors.
Pawar, it is understood, qualifies on most terms and is expected to relinquish the post of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president once the BCCI agrees to the Lodha Panel stipulations on an age-cap of 70 years for administrators.“That will make him perfectly eligible,” a source close to the development said.
Wally Edwards, former Cricket Australia chairman and also the former chairman of ICC's all-powerful executive committee, could be the only other contender apart from Pawar, given the terms set by the ICC board.
Pawar, at the moment, is an alternate representative at the ICC whenever president Manohar is unavailable. This decision was taken by the BCCI at its 2015 AGM last November. However, it remains to be seen if the senior politician's health will permit him to pursue the role - Pawar is 75 and was recently admitted to a hospital in Pune because of `breathlessness'.
No more `Big Three'?
Close to a year after the Indian, Australian and England cricket boards devised a comprehensive structural overhaul of world cricket administration, ceding major decision-making powers and a lion's share of the revenue to themselves, the `Big Three' structure may be scrapped. The ICC has agreed to approve changes in order to remove the permanent positions of the three boards.
Dravid gets new role
At the recommendation of ICC's anti-corruption unit chairman Ronnie Flanagan, former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed member of the new Anti-Corruption Oversight Group.
